Promise
by Damien-Damien
Summary: When Ryuuzaki made that promise, he never really thought the boy would remember it for more than a month. AU, language, shonen ai


**I don't own Death Note, and I'm not profiting from this. Now leave me alone, and read the freakin' story!**

_0o0o0o0o0_

"Give it back!"

The boy jumped, grabbing angrily at the blue beads held high above his head. The older two just laughed, lifting their prize farther out of his reach. "Come on, kid," the brunet said with a chuckle. "What does it really matter? Catch, Mikami!" He tossed the necklace to his black-haired friend, who snatched it out of the air just as Mello's fingers failed to grasp it.

"Yeah," Mikami sneered, waving the jewelry above the blonde's head. "What kind of self-respecting guy would wear a necklace, anyway?"

"It's not a necklace!!" Mello shrieked as the beads soared back to the other boy. "It's a rosary, and it's my mama's! Give it BACK!!"

"Y'hear that, Raito? It's his mommy's!"

The brunet smirked. "Well, then, we'd better be awfully careful with it, hadn't we?"

Mello's eyes went wide with terror as Raito began swinging the rosary in wide circles above his head. The teen's gaze flickered across the street briefly, and Mello's followed. He shook his head in horror when his eyes fell on the sewer grate. "No..." he whispered, watching as Raito's arm seemed to move in slow motion, arching towards the grate. "No!"

The brunet's fingers released their grip on the beads, and they sailed through the air. Mello raced towards them, hoping against hope that he might be able to catch them. If he could even just hook a single finger on them, they might be saved, but as they flew past his outstretched arms, Mello realized they would soon be gone. He squeezed his eyes shut, dropping to his knees and waiting for the inevitable splash of them landing in the sewer...

...But it never came.

After several seconds, Mello opened his eyes, looking in confusion towards the grate. Another boy had appeared, kneeling in the road. He was wearing baggy blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt. One arm was disappearing between the bars of the grate, and even though his head was turned to face the blond, his black hair covered most of his face.

"Ryuuzaki, what the fuck d'you think you're doing?" Raito yelled angrily.

"Such language is not becoming of Raito-kun, especially considering his age," the new teen said, standing up. Mello's eyes lit up when he saw the rosary dangling from long, pale fingers. He nearly squealed as it was placed back in his loving hands, and he quickly put it back around his neck.

The brunet laughed. "I don't see where you got the idea you can comment on my age. You're a year younger than me, Ryuuzaki," he said, putting as much contempt as possible into the other's name.

"Biologically, yes," the pale boy said, walking towards the other two. "But seeing as how Raito feels the need to pick on a child who can hardly be half his age, it is clear that I am years ahead of him in maturity."

"Screw you, Ryuuzaki!" Mikami yelled, throwing a rock at the other's head. It connected with the pale skin of his forehead, leaving a thin trail of blood down to his nose.

"What an original comeback..." Ryuuzaki murmured, wiping a bit of the blood from his head. He walked closer to the other two boys. "I suggest you two go home now," he said, tipping his head to the side.

"Oh, really?" Raito asked, a smug grin on his face. "And what if we don't?" He shoved Ryuuzaki roughly in the chest, sending him back several steps. "What'll you do to us?"

Ryuuzaki blinked slowly. "I would not do anything to you, Yagami-kun." The boys laughed, walking towards him. "Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about Watari."

The brunet stopped, blinking nervously. Mikami turned back to him, clearly confused about why they'd stopped. "You wouldn't." Ryuuzaki merely stared at him. Raito seemed to fight with himself for a moment before turning and starting away. "C'mon, Mikami. This is just getting stupid." Mikami hesitated for a moment, looking back at Ryuuzaki before following his friend.

Mello blinked in surprise, watching the two leave. Whoever this pale boy was, he clearly had some kind of leverage on the other two, and the little blond was determined to learn more about his savior. When he turned back to where the boy had been, he was surprised to see that he was gone. Looking down the street, Mello could see him walking away; probably back to his own house. "Hey!" he yelled, running after him as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Wait!"

Ryuuzaki paused, turning back to face the child chasing him. "Yes?"

"Thanks!" Mello said happily, after regaining his breath. "That was awesome."

"I must admit, I am not completely sure what you are saying I did that was awesome. I have done several things in the last five minutes, and unless you are more specific, I will be unable to know what I have done to impress you so," Ryuuzaki said, starting to walk again.

Mello quickly fell into step alongside the older boy, taking almost three full strides for each one of Ryuuzaki's. "Well, everything you did was so cool!" he said, staring up in adoration of the other. "You got my mama's rosary before it fell in the sewer, and you stood up to those jerks without even thinking about it! You don't even know me, and you helped me!"

Ryuuzaki stopped, sitting down on a rock. "You said that rosary belongs to your mother, correct?" Mello nodded, taking a seat on the ground next to him. "Does she know that you have it?" The blond paused for a moment before silently shaking his head. "Why did you take it without asking?"

The boy frowned, turning his gaze to the ground. "Mama used to take us to church every Sunday," he said quietly, glancing back up at Ryuuzaki for a moment. "I liked it there. The music was really pretty, and potluck week always had really good food, too. But then she got sick, an' we stopped going. She lost all her hair, and she really liked her hair, too! It was long, and pretty, and it smelled really good." He smiled for a second before continuing. "When she got sick, she said that God abandoned her, 'cause the doctor said she won't get better, at least not for a real long time, an' she put her rosary in a drawer by her bed. But I thought..." He stopped, looking back at Ryuuzaki again. "I thought that maybe if I wore it for her, God would see that I didn't give up on Mama, an' maybe He'd help her get better." Mello looked up at Ryuuzaki, a hopeful grin stretched across his face. "D'you think it'll work? I've been wearin' it for almost a week now, but Mama hasn't gotten any better yet."

Ryuuzaki shrugged. "I cannot say that I know. Truthfully, the best thing you could do for her would be to give her all the love that you can, and possibly help around the house a bit so she has less to worry about."

Mello nodded. That didn't sound too hard, and if it would help his mama, he'd definitely do it. "You're really nice, Ryuuzaki," he said happily, wrapping his arms around the older boy's leg. "Will you be my boyfriend?"

The teen stiffened at the sudden contact on his leg, looking at the boy in surprise. That had certainly not been expected in the least. "I do not think that will work out," he said slowly. "You seem a bit young for me, and I am not even aware of your name."

The blond stuck his lower lip out, staring up at Ryuuzaki. "My name's Mello, and I'm already six! How old are you?" This wasn't fair! He was always too young to do anything.

"I turned eleven last week."

"That's not that big a difference!" Mello said unhappily.

Ryuuzaki sighed, standing up. "Perhaps I can be Mello-chan's boyfriend when he is a bit older," he said, pulling his leg out of the younger's grip and starting back down the road.

Mello stayed where he was, watching sadly as Ryuuzaki went on his way. After a few seconds, he stood up, calling after him. "Ryuuzaki! Do you promise?" The black-haired boy paused, turning back. He paused, nodded, and gave a brief wave good-bye. "I'll remember, Ryuu! I can wait!" Mello yelled, and he waved frantically until Ryuuzaki had disappeared. "...I can wait."

_o-o-o-o_

"It isn't fair," Mello said quietly. The river below swirled, murky and gray, and the blond had a short urge to laugh at how well it seemed to fit his mood. His gaze fell to the cross lying on his chest, and a sudden wave of anger flew through him. Angrily, he pulled it over his head, and glared at the little piece of metal lying among the beads. "You didn't do anything!!" he shrieked, raising his arm up and back. As he started to swing it forward, a hand wrapped itself around his wrist. Mello spun around, wanting nothing more at this moment than to punch whoever had the nerve to keep him from getting rid of this stupid rosary as hard as he could, but as soon as he saw the pale face framed by messy dark hair, he stopped.

"I do not know why you are so angry, but if you were to throw this away, I believe you would regret it," Ryuuzaki said, blinking slowly at the smaller boy.

Mello pulled his arm away angrily, glaring at the ground. "No freakin' crap, you don't know," he growled. "If you think this stupid rosary's so important, why not take a guess at why I'm pissed? D'you think you're a mind reader or something?"

"Well," the teen started, "from what I was able to hear you say, it would seem that you had been hoping for some sort of miracle to be given from God. A rosary is, after all, a religious object. Clearly, you did not receive this miracle. Perhaps someone close to you has died recently?" Mello flinched. "And unless I remember incorrectly, you once told me this belonged to your mother, and if she has indeed passed on, I doubt that you would be pleased with yourself if you were to throw away something that had been hers."

The blond bit his lower lip, lifting his gaze to meet Ryuuzaki's. "..." It had been over three years since they'd met; almost four, in fact. How on earth did he still remember meeting a boy who'd practically been a toddler?

"It is not often that I take enough interest in another person's well-being to stop and help them, Mello."

Mello blinked. Confirmation that he did know who he was, and an explanation of how he did? Maybe Ryuuzaki really was a mind reader. A cold nose suddenly pressed itself against Mello's hand, and he jumped. A large English sheepdog stood in front of him, panting loudly, and the blond wondered how long it had been there. He certainly didn't remember seeing it come up. It barked suddenly, leaping onto Mello's chest to lick his face, and the boy almost fell over.

Ryuuzaki reached over and pulled the fur on the dog's neck, a look of mild amusement in his eyes. "Down, Watari," he said quietly, and the dog sat down by his feet, looking hopefully towards Mello.

The blond smiled slightly, and reached out to rub the dog's head. "So you're the infamous Watari, huh?" he said, scratching its ear.

Ryuuzaki tipped his head slightly. "Infamous?"

"Well, yeah," Mello said, crouching so he could pet the dog better. "I kinda remember you saying something about a 'Watari' to those jerks when you helped me out." He glanced up at the pale teen, curiosity in his eyes. "Why were they so scared of him, anyway?"

Another touch of amusement slipped into the older boy's eyes. "Watari has taken a bite out of Yagami Raito more than once before." Mello's eyes widened a bit, and he nervously pulled his hand back. "Do not worry, Mello. He only bites someone that he feels is threatening me, and if he is willing to let you pet him, it is quite unlikely that he will attack without provocation."

Mello relaxed, rubbing the dog's side. He smiled a little when Watari rolled onto his back, and began kicking when Mello's fingers began scratching his belly. "You guys taking a walk?"

Ryuuzaki nodded. "We were." He crouched down to look the younger boy in the eyes. "Would Mello like to talk about anything?"

The blond paused, averting his eyes from Ryuuzaki's gaze. "Like what?" he asked quietly.

"Perhaps why he is standing on a bridge and attempting to throw away his mother's rosary."

Mello bit his lip, pulling his hand away from Watari. "You were right," he said quietly, staring at the ground. "Mama died last night." A single tear slipped down his cheek, and the blond angrily wiped it away. "I haven't been home since about ten o'clock."

Ryuuzaki frowned. "Where did you sleep?"

"The park. Papa got himself drunk when the hospital called, an' I don't like being around him when he's drunk. He yells too much."

"Couldn't you have gone to a friend's house?"

"I guess," Mello said with a little shrug. "Didn't think of it."

The older boy placed a thumb against his lip, and was silent for several seconds. "February seems a bit cold to be sleeping outdoors," he said as a shiver ran down Mello's back. "We should get Mello somewhere that he can warm himself. If he would like to walk with Watari and I, we could continue our conversation."

Mello nodded, standing up. "I'd like that," he said quietly. The two walked in silence for several minutes before Mello finally broke it. "D'you remember your promise?" he asked suddenly, turning to Ryuuzaki.

The pale boy glanced at Mello. "The promise of becoming your boyfriend?" The blond nodded nervously. "I do."

The two were silent for almost another minute before Mello spoke again. "So...am I old enough now?"

Ryuuzaki looked at the boy. He was clearly feeling very fragile right now, and the teen knew he'd have to pick his next words carefully. "I think that, while Mello is a nice boy, he is still a bit young for me." The look that came onto Mello's face put an odd feeling in Ryuuzaki's gut, and he spoke quickly. "Not that I will be breaking my promise. I simply feel that you need a few more years' experience before getting into a relationship. Not to mention that you probably should not rush into something like this while still in mourning."

Mello was quiet for several seconds before turning back to the older. "Can I at least get one thing from you? Something to prove you'll keep your promise!"

"Perhaps. What might it be?"

The blond glanced away for a moment, a light blush turning his cheeks pink, but he forced himself to look Ryuuzaki in the eyes as he made his request. "Will you kiss me?"

Ryuuzaki thought for a moment before answering. "I suppose that would be acceptable."

Mello closed his eyes as the teen leaned over, gently pressing their lips together. After the older boy pulled away, he ran the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip, noting that it now had a sweet taste. He smiled shyly at Ryuuzaki, slipping his hand into the other boy's, and they continued walking.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

"Mells! Wait up!"

Mello turned, shifting the backpack hanging from his shoulder, turning to see a red-haired boy running towards him. "Hey, Matt. What's up?"

"Please, please tell me you did last night's chem homework!"

The blond laughed, dropping his bookbag onto the hallway floor. "Don't you think it's kind of pathetic that you keep having to come to a freshman for homework?"

Matt grinned, taking the assignment and handing the blond a chocolate bar as payment. "Eh, I wouldn't care if you were a sixth grader. If you got the right answers, I'd still come to you for 'em."

"Maybe if you spent more time on your schoolwork than World of Warcraft, you wouldn't need my work," Mello said, unwrapping the candy.

The redhead shrugged, copying answers onto his own paper. "Guess we'll never know, will we?" When the blond didn't respond, Matt looked up at his friend. "Mells? You alive?"

The blond was staring through the crowd of students, the chocolate in his hand seemingly forgotten. "I'll catch up to you later, Matt."

"Mells, where're you going?" The gamer watched his friend disappear into the throng of the school, shrugged, and went back to copying homework.

--

"Ryuuzaki!"

The pale senior glanced up at the mention of his name. It was odd, his fellow students didn't normally seek him out. When his eyes fell upon a mop of blond hair forcing its way to him, he blinked in surprise. "Mello?"

"Hi, Ryuuzaki!" The blond leaned against a locker, looking up at the older boy. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"I do not get out very often, do I?" he said, closing his locker.

Mello nodded. "I've only ever seen you maybe...three times, y'know. School started over two months ago, and this is my first time seeing you here. I was starting to think you'd graduated early."

Ryuuzaki smirked at the younger boy. "And unless I am mistaken, Mello should not yet be in high school. Has the schoolboard seen fit to put you into a higher grade?"

The freshman grinned, nodding again. "I'm really glad I found you," he said, shoving himself off the locker as Ryuuzaki started down the hall. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Really," the black-haired teen said, turning his head to look at Mello. The blonde's expression was confident and excited, but something in his eyes gave Ryuuzaki the feeling that the boy was nervous. "It would not happen to have anything to do with a certain promise, would it?"

Mello hesitated for a moment before nodding silently. "Do you think I'm old enough now?" he asked quietly, watching for the other's response.

"I think that Mello has waited just a bit too long in seeking me out."

The blond blinked slowly, swallowing a rather large lump in his throat. "Okay, then," he said quietly. "I guess I can take a hint. I'll see you around."

Ryuuzaki was surprised at Mello's reaction, to say the least. It seemed that the boy had completely given up. "Mello," he called after the retreating freshman.

The boy stopped, turning to look back at the other. "The bell's gonna ring, Ryuuzaki. I've gotta get to class."

The senior let a harsh breath out of his nose, and rushed after the younger teen. "I did not mean that I will never be able to fulfill your wish," he said, placing a hand on Mello's shoulder. "I was simply saying that my eighteenth birthday has recently passed. If we were to be together, the legal system would not look kindly upon us."

Mello looked up at the older boy, a clear look of annoyance in his eyes. "I don't give a shit what the legal system thinks of me," he growled, shaking Ryuuzaki's hand from his shoulder.

"So Mello would prefer that I were to date him, and if we were to be found out, that I would be arrested on counts of statutory rape?"

The blond was silent for a moment, a look of surprise on his face. "Geez, Ryuu, it's not like I'd jump straight into bed with you!"

"I was not implying that you would. I merely understand that many couples find each other hard to resist, and sex is a part of a relationship that often comes without being planned."

"I guess you have a point," Mello said, grimacing as a ringing bell announced they were late. "Shit," he growled. "Eh, it won't be the first time I've been late to chem." He frowned when he remembered Matt still had his homework, and he wouldn't be able to meet up with the other boy for three more periods. "Ah, screw it. This place sucks, anyway; I'm outta here." He adjusted the backpack still hanging from his shoulder, and glanced at Ryuuzaki. "You with me?"

"I suppose time spent with Mello would be better than spent arguing with a teacher over whether it is acceptable to sit with my feet against the desk," the black-haired teen said with a slight smile. "Would you like to stop by your locker and drop off your bag?"

"Nah. The longer we hang around here, the more likely it is we'll get caught and dragged to class." The blond glanced around, making sure no teachers were within sight. "Let's go."

"Did Mello have any particular place in mind when he suggested that we leave school?" Ryuuzaki asked when the boys had made it off of school grounds. "I do not get out often enough to know many places around town, despite how long I have lived here."

"Seriously?" Mello asked, grinning at the older boy. Ryuuzaki nodded, and the blond sighed, rolling his eyes. "Well, the only place I ever go with Matt is the arcade, and that gets so damn boring when you're there almost fifty times each month, so that's out." He was quiet for a moment, trying to think of something that might be entertaining. "There's a bakery uptown, but that would probably be kinda boring. Only thing that really makes it worth the trip is that a girl who works there has the hots for me, and I get free cake."

"A bakery sounds excellent," Ryuuzaki said, staring at the blond. How had he never known there was a bakery in town? It was probably only a ten minute walk or so from his own house! "Lead the way, Mello."

Mello laughed, poking Ryuuzaki in the ribs. "You seriously want to go?" The black-haired senior quickly nodded, excitement sparkling in his eyes. "Okay, then. Let's go!"

--

"Mello!" A rather high-pitched squeal greeted the boys as they walked into the shop, and a blonde girl waved frantically at him.

"Hey, Misa. What've you got for me today?" the freshman asked, walking up to lean on the counter.

Ryuuzaki paid absolutely no mind to the other two in the store, giving all his attention to a display of cakes and cookies inside the glass counter. There were chocolate chip cookies with the biggest chunks of chocolate he had ever seen resting next to such ­soft-looking sugar cookies, Ryuuzaki was sure they would almost fall apart as soon as he bit into them. Large blueberry muffins were the next thing to catch his eye, but he quickly passed over them when he saw it.

It was the most beautiful cake Ryuuzaki had ever seen in his life. It wasn't too small, but wasn't overly large, either, with white frosting covering every inch of it. Little red roses made of icing were placed carefully along the edge, held in by a rim of pale yellow. Small slices of strawberry were delicately scattered across the top, and it was finished off by a light dusting of granulated sugar. Ryuuzaki found himself trying to keep from drooling at the sight of it.

"Who's Mello's friend?"

"This is Ryuuzaki," the blond said, nudging the other with his elbow. "I've told you about him."

Ryuuzaki glanced up when he was prodded by an elbow, and was rather surprised to hear that Mello had talked about him. The girl- Misa, was it?- was grinning at him.

"So you're Ryuu, huh?" she said with a giggle. "Mello always has something to say about you."

"That is a bit surprising, seeing as we have only actually met three times now," Ryuuzaki said, glancing back at the cake.

"Doesn't mean he can't remember everything about each time," Misa said with a sigh. "He's so romantic like that! Why can't Misa find a guy as good as you, Mello?" she squealed, wrapping her arms around the blonde's neck.

"Misa, cut it out!" Mello half-growled, pulling out of her grip. "How many times do I have to tell you not to get all touch-feely like that?"

The blonde just giggled again, smiling at Ryuuzaki who had turned his attention back to the dessert. "Does Ryuuzaki like that cake?"

"It looks absolutely delicious. Whoever made it did an excellent job," he said without looking away from it.

Misa crouched down, and pulled the cake out, placing it on the counter in front of Ryuuzaki. "Well, if you're going to keep complimenting Misa like that, I suppose it couldn't hurt to let this be Mello's snack for today."

Mello looked surprised, dipping a finger into one of the roses. "You made this, Misa?"

"Yeah, Misa makes all the free stuff she gives Mello."

"Huh. I always thought you just worked the register."

Ryuuzaki happily poked a fork into the cake, taking a rather large bite out of it. He nearly moaned at the light, fluffy taste on his tongue, and quickly went back for another bite. "Misa should have some of this as well. She has done an amazing job baking this."

The three chatted happily, eating the cake. A half hour later, the dessert was completely gone. "We should get going, Misa. Keep making me cake!" Mello said happily as they started out of the store.

"I will!" the blonde called after them, smiling to herself at the hand-holding neither boy seemed to be aware of.

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

"I can't believe that just happened," Mello said, grinning.

Matt nodded, reaching over to knock his friend's cap to the ground. "Believe it, buddy. School's over and done with. No more homework, no more studying..." He sighed happily. "You're free!"

"Aren't you forgetting about college?" the blond asked, picking his cap up and brushing off some dirt. "Just because you took a year off first doesn't mean I will, too."

"Well, if you're so excited to be going to college, where're you headed to?"

Mello shook his head slowly. "I dunno. Do you really think I know what I even want to do with my life?" he asked, leaning against the side of his now former school. "The most passion I have for anything is an obsession with chocolate and some guy I haven't seen since freshman year."

"Come on, man," the redhead said quietly, leaning next to the younger boy. "I bet if you went into police work or something, you'd kick ass. Use that brain of yours to clean up our crime-ridden streets!" He tapped the other on the forehead at the mention of his brain, and grinned when his hand was shoved away. "Besides, I'm sure you'll see Ryuuzaki again. He promised you he'd be back, didn't he?"

Mello looked at Matt, annoyance clear on his face. "Oh, come on, Matt. He went to mother fucking England after he graduated. D'you really think he'd come back just to humor some damn kid?"

"I do not think Mello is just some kid."

The blonde's eyes snapped wide open as a hand was placed on his shoulder. He spun around, and came face to face with Ryuuzaki. Matt grinned, told the two he'd get them some privacy, and wandered off to keep Mello's dad distracted.

"I didn't think you'd come back," Mello said softly, smiling nervously.

"I promised Mello that I would return after his graduation. What reason would I have to break that promise?"

The blond gave a harsh laugh. "Maybe the fact that we still don't really know each other that well, and you'd have to make a trip across the freaking ocean to get here." He felt a pain in his chest at the fact that Ryuuzaki had mentioned the last agreement he'd made with him, but made no mention of the first. God, he was such an idiot. Ryuuzaki had probably just been humoring him every time he brought up that stupid, stupid promise, and now he was being offered a chance to finally drop it and leave the man alone. Mello wasn't an idiot; he knew it was finally time to let this childhood dream die; but he still wanted to spend what little time he still could with the older man. "Well, you've come through on your promise now. How long d'you plan on staying before you go back to England?"

Ryuuzaki blinked. "I was planning on staying for something around two weeks, but from Mello's tone of voice and word choice, it would seem that he thinks coming back is my only promise to fulfill. Unless I have been mistaken for the past eleven years, there is another that I have yet to keep." He thought for a moment, glancing at the blond. "How old are you now, Mello? Seventeen, I believe?"

The blond nodded slowly. "Yeah...Just had my birthday in December."

Ryuuzaki smiled, leaning towards the younger. "I think that's old enough," he whispered against the teen's cheek, before placing his lips against the other boy's.

Mello's mind shut down briefly before realizing that the older man wasn't pushing him; that he was trying to determine if this relationship was still something that the blond wanted. Well, he certainly didn't want to leave any doubts in the pale man's mind, so he kissed Ryuuzaki back. He wrapped his arms around Ryuuzaki's neck, pulling him close, and willingly opened his mouth when the man nibbled at his lip. A warm tongue brushed against his own, and Mello found a slight taste of chocolate on Ryuuzaki's breath. It was absolutely intoxicating, and the two men stood, arms wrapped around each other and kissing more passionately than either of them ever had before, for several minutes.

When they finally pulled apart for air, Mello smiled, and placed another, much more gentle, kiss to the corner of Ryuuzaki's mouth. "So, you're leaving in a couple weeks, huh?"

Ryuuzaki smiled at the slightly sad expression on the younger boy's face. "If Mello would like, I was hoping he might come back with me. Or I could even go back by myself, and let you have some more time to get in your goodbyes and such, and you could come later." He paused, frowning, before continuing. "Of course, I do realize that this is a very large decision to be asking you to make, especially with such short notice. If you would rather stay here, I would understand, and we could try keeping a long-dist-"

Mello pressed his lips against Ryuuzaki's with a chuckle, holding the kiss for a few seconds before pulling away. "Ryuu, there's something about you that has made me wanna just drop everything to be by your side since the moment I met you. Seeing the world a little sounds like fun, anyway, and I couldn't think of a single person I'd rather see it with."

"Mello…" Ryuuzaki said quietly, cupping the younger boy's cheek and leaning in to kiss him again.

"Aw, lookit you two!" Matt yelled suddenly, rubbing the mens' heads. "Such little lovebirds!"

"Matt, you're supposed to be keeping my dad busy!" Mello whined, shoving the hand out of his hair.

"He had to go pick up the cake for your graduation party. I told him I'd make sure you weren't late to it." The redhead grinned, sticking his hands into his pockets. "C'mon, we gotta get going. You coming?" he asked, glancing at Ryuuzaki.

"If Mello wants me to, I would be delighted."

"Of course you're coming, Ryuu!" Mello cried, grabbing onto the others' hand. "Let's go. And you are not driving, Matt, I don't want to die on my graduation day!"

"Is Mello's cake coming from the bakery Misa works at?" Ryuuzaki asked hopefully as they crossed the parking lot.

"Of course that's the first thing you'd want to know!" Mello laughed, unlocking the car. "And yeah. She said she'd make me a special German chocolate cake. I've been looking forward to this cake for over a year now!" As the boys climbed into the car, laughing and making jokes, mostly at Mello's expense, the blond realized that this was probably the happiest he'd ever been in his life. Ryuuzaki smiled at him, interlacing his fingers with Mello's, and the graduate was sure that as long as he was with the other, he could almost certainly count on being almost this happy a lot more often.

_0o0o0o0o0_

**Wow...I can't believe I just wrote that last scene! It wasn't even all that romantic or sappy, but it still makes me feel like gagging, and I love it anyway! :D Sorry if I made Ryuuzaki overuse the third person a little bit...I went back through the manga when this was about half done, and realized he doesn't actually use it nearly as much as I thought he did, but I was too lazy to bother going back and fixing it. ; There's just not enough LxMello out there, so I had to write this. If you want to leave me constructive criticism, go ahead as long as you're nice about it, but please, PLEASE don't just flame me. It's just plain annoying!**

**…And yes, I'm aware that nobody's ages are anything near right. So sue me!**


End file.
